oil life indicator
Thread Starter
4th Gear
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 4
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oil life indicator
My 2019 corvette oil indicator has been calling for an oil change earlier and earlier, currently saying I need to change with only 1482 miles and 11 months since last change. Previous change was at 2700 miles and 13 months. Is there something wrong with the indicator system?
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,297
Likes: 372
From: Iowa
Were you the one to change the oil last time? Perhaps someone reset it a few weeks/months after the oil change? My understanding is that after 12 months it should be at 0% but perhaps there's a margin of error built into it. Maybe you're taking shorter trips without letting the car get fully up to temp. There's probably dozens or more factors that go into the calculation so it's really hard to pinpoint why there's a difference. Regardless, I wouldn't worry about it. One month isn't going to be detrimental with so few miles driven and as long as you change it every 12 months give or take a month shouldn't be detrimental. Now if you were going 6k+ miles I'd be more worried about changing it before the 12 months is up.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,370
Likes: 1,341
From: Kingston, Ontario
Sounds like its working to me. Its designed for time and use. It should be telling you to do a change around 12 months regardless if you barely drive it. Short drives will also shorten the lifespan as the car doesn't get up to appropriate temps.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,297
Likes: 372
From: Iowa
Duplicate thread.
See responses in your other one.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...indicator.html
See responses in your other one.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...indicator.html
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,981
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From: Bonneville Salt Flats
As I noted at what I think was the same post elsewhere, if your car is out of warranty reset the indicator yourself so it doesn't bug you and forget it. Just change the oil and filter whenever you normally would according to your schedule and go on. It's what I've always done with the things. 
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^. sounds like you are bumping up against the time requirement rather than the mileage when it comes to the oil life monitor.
sounds like you are bumping up against the time requirement rather than the mileage when it comes to the oil life monitor.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 756
Likes: 172
From: SC
Were you the one to change the oil last time? Perhaps someone reset it a few weeks/months after the oil change? My understanding is that after 12 months it should be at 0% but perhaps there's a margin of error built into it. Maybe you're taking shorter trips without letting the car get fully up to temp. There's probably dozens or more factors that go into the calculation so it's really hard to pinpoint why there's a difference. Regardless, I wouldn't worry about it. One month isn't going to be detrimental with so few miles driven and as long as you change it every 12 months give or take a month shouldn't be detrimental. Now if you were going 6k+ miles I'd be more worried about changing it before the 12 months is up.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 2,555
Likes: 1,213
Nothing.
Have your oil analyzed if you want to see if your oil is still performing the job adequately.
Blackstone Laboratories is one vendor with that service.
Have your oil analyzed if you want to see if your oil is still performing the job adequately.
Blackstone Laboratories is one vendor with that service.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 756
Likes: 172
From: SC
Nothing.
Have your oil analyzed if you want to see if your oil is still performing the job adequately.
Blackstone Laboratories is one vendor with that service.
Have your oil analyzed if you want to see if your oil is still performing the job adequately.
Blackstone Laboratories is one vendor with that service.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,502
Likes: 3,302
From: Hartford WI
Where are the "most oil" at? In the bottle, sealed, it probably can go 5 years. If you open it, might be less. Check with manufacturer. When you run it in the engine, you are mixing your new oil with old oil with contaminants and are adding new contaminants by running it hence the 1 year mark for the manufacturer to be safe. If you want to know, test it.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,297
Likes: 372
From: Iowa
That's unopened bottles. Once you drive the vehicle the oil starts breaking down. Contaminants from the combustion process, moisture, fuel, etc. gets into the oil. A lot of work went into GMs OLM. Will it go bad at 12 months? Probably not. But you tell people 12 months and they'll go 15 months. Tell them 15 months they'll go 18. It's probably on the conservative side, but also the amount of miles driven plays a factor. At 1400 miles the oil is still probably good at 12 months, but 6,000 miles and 12 months the oil is at it's end or close to being so.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,002
Likes: 2,679
Ah yes the dreaded 1 year timer when you "must" change your oil. On this topic, a lot of opinions, and a lot of info. Testing is of course the only sure fire way to know. But once you are out of warranty, its your car and you can do whatever you feel is comfortable. The OLM is a nice tool, but like many things understanding its limitations is key to it being useful to you.
Now that my ESP has run out, I likely will switch to a 24 month change cycle, because I drive only 3k a year. If I was at 6k or more a year I'd stick to yearly or whenever it says to change it (if its under a year). Realistically without time it should last 8-10k miles under "nominal" driving conditions. I track my oil changes on all my cars and they are all in that 8-10k range except when I run into the "time function".
Now that my ESP has run out, I likely will switch to a 24 month change cycle, because I drive only 3k a year. If I was at 6k or more a year I'd stick to yearly or whenever it says to change it (if its under a year). Realistically without time it should last 8-10k miles under "nominal" driving conditions. I track my oil changes on all my cars and they are all in that 8-10k range except when I run into the "time function".
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,502
Likes: 3,302
From: Hartford WI
That's unopened bottles. Once you drive the vehicle the oil starts breaking down. Contaminants from the combustion process, moisture, fuel, etc. gets into the oil. A lot of work went into GMs OLM. Will it go bad at 12 months? Probably not. But you tell people 12 months and they'll go 15 months. Tell them 15 months they'll go 18. It's probably on the conservative side, but also the amount of miles driven plays a factor. At 1400 miles the oil is still probably good at 12 months, but 6,000 miles and 12 months the oil is at it's end or close to being so.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,502
Likes: 3,302
From: Hartford WI
Ah yes the dreaded 1 year timer when you "must" change your oil. On this topic, a lot of opinions, and a lot of info. Testing is of course the only sure fire way to know. But once you are out of warranty, its your car and you can do whatever you feel is comfortable. The OLM is a nice tool, but like many things understanding its limitations is key to it being useful to you.
Now that my ESP has run out, I likely will switch to a 24 month change cycle, because I drive only 3k a year. If I was at 6k or more a year I'd stick to yearly or whenever it says to change it (if its under a year). Realistically without time it should last 8-10k miles under "nominal" driving conditions. I track my oil changes on all my cars and they are all in that 8-10k range except when I run into the "time function".
Now that my ESP has run out, I likely will switch to a 24 month change cycle, because I drive only 3k a year. If I was at 6k or more a year I'd stick to yearly or whenever it says to change it (if its under a year). Realistically without time it should last 8-10k miles under "nominal" driving conditions. I track my oil changes on all my cars and they are all in that 8-10k range except when I run into the "time function".
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2019
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